Navigate:

Jack Conway and Rand Paul are facing off in the Kentucky Senate race. |
AP PhotoClose

To that end, the Democrats' hopes rest largely on Paul’s vulnerabilities and particularly on his tendency to defend his small-government principles even when they may sound extreme, such as his views on the Civil Rights Act. Asked if a private business has the right to not serve black customers, Paul said that while he abhors people who discriminate, “I also don’t want to limit their speech in any way.” He later retreated to say he would have voted for the act, and would not vote to repeal it. Paul also opposes much of federal spending on student aid, farm subsidies and veterans’ benefits and entitlements.

McConnell, who has urged Paul to avoid getting drawn into such debates, said in an interview that the GOP Senate hopeful’s best course would be staying focused entirely on federal spending.
“Staying on that message is the way to win this race,” said McConnell, who described the political atmosphere in Kentucky as the most favorable year for Republicans that he has ever seen.

Text Size

-

+

reset

Asked if Paul has gotten the message about lowering his national profile, McConnell would only say: “I think he’s doing well.”

Old style political rallies such as Fancy Farm are not the wonky Paul’s best forum, however. He’d prefer to discuss the size of the debt and the 10,000 additional federal regulations added in the last decade — both of which he mentioned in his remarks to Democratic jeers of “Boring, boring!” — than to heave rhetorical red meat to the audience.

His disconnect from the state’s backslapping political and cultural traditions would seem to be another challenge, but the overarching issues of the election cycle have so far obscured the shortcomings.

“I thought in our primary that would be a benefit to me — my knowledge of the state and my relationships in the state,” said Trey Grayson, the Republican Secretary of State who got trounced by Paul in May. “But what’s going on is that voters are just so concerned with what’s going on in Washington.”

Paul, in an interview, contended that his views are within the political mainstream and he offered a recitation about his support for spending curbs and fiscal restraint, which would have pleased McConnell.
“I’m talking about a message of reforming an out-of-control government,” he said.

But it’s what he has been talking about less frequently, his extreme-sounding small-government views, which give Conway and Democrats hope.

Paul, though, is not his father, who preferred making a statement over doing the sort of sail-trimming necessary to win high office. For all his slip ups, the younger Paul is willing to soft-pedal his libertarian views to win.

Asked if he’d fight for Kentucky to get its fair share from Washington, Paul didn’t launch into a lecture about how the role of a senator isn’t to deliver pork back home.

“I’m not opposed to spending money for Kentucky,” he said. “I will fight for Kentucky to get its fair share from a balanced budget.”

Who cares about the Tea Party anymore? Most if not all of their candidates lost in the primary. Rand Paul and Sharon Angle are running as fast as they can from the Tea Party principles, the "grass roots" movement is now officially part of Congress. I give this a big Jaw breaking YAWN. And for those who say "See you in November"....Did your candidate even make it to November?

Let's hope the good people of Kentucky vote to dump all Democrats in November. And in 2012, dump Obama for good. Never again will people believe the hype and spin of "Hope and Change" , especially when it comes from the mouth, via teleprompter, of an unknown, inexperienced and Left-wing Democrat. We just cannot afford another Liberal disaster in the White House. The economy is in shambles and America is on the verge of bankruptcy through overspending. Never again will people be so stupid. This time the voices of the American people will resonate at the ballot box. The prospects look pretty grim for the Democratic Party and incumbents in general. Angry voters will dump Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi also. They're unappealing and unattractive party-loyalists who have been in office far too long and who pander to the Liberal special interests of the out-of-touch Democrats in Washington.

Obama and his SOCIALISTIC DEMOCRATS are in the process of destroying America as we comment right now,,,DON'T worry about the tea-party,,just help us save our country from this SOCIALISTIC CHICAGO AGENDA !!!!!!

Obama and his SOCIALISTIC DEMOCRATS are in the process of destroying America as we comment right now,,,DON'T worry about the tea-party,,just help us save our country from this SOCIALISTIC CHICAGO AGENDA !!!!!!

Obama, why don't you go and help your Democrats in KY,.? Georgia's Democratic nominee for Governor ran away as fast as he could from THE "O" when Obama went to Atlanta last week,,,,,,Why do the Democrats think KY. will sent him any more "YES" votes ???? Maybe he'll promise Ky-ians $250.00 like he is promising the seniors after he robbed Medicare and appointed a person who believes in rationing over Medicare,,,the people in KY. care about their mothers and fathers !!!!!

In an effort to confront the conspiracy, Obama officials posted a copy of a certification of live birth online in 2008. Newspaper notices from August 4, 1961 have also been found in Hawaiian newspapers announcing his birth, and officials have confirmed his birth certificate exists and shows he was born in Honolulu. A birth certificate claiming Obama was born in Kenya, which surfaced last year, later proved to be fake

Yes, there will be some small Obama/tea party proxy battle in this race, but politics is local and personal and it will mainly be the ideas and values the two convince the voters they will fight for that will determine the outcome. Paul's libertarian ideas -- you're on your own -- that will privatize Social Security, dismantle Medicare, cut veterans' benefits and students' aid, do away with civil rights are bound to hurt him, even in "red" Kentucky. Which candidate is more the "people person" and effective campaigner will be key, too. Also, there's the important telegenic factor: Jack Conway is cut from the Scott Brown mold and Rand Paul from the overgrown munchkin mold.

its all about running against pelosi. she is a huge weight around all democrats necks. i can not believe they dont rise up and get rid of her. 90% of the peope that pay attention think she is completely out of touch with middle america, but there she is, arguably the most powerful person in the country,

The simple fact is, Americans are going to take this opportunity to drain the swamp voter revolution style. These politicians think that a couple months is a lifetime in politics. That may be true to a politician getting regular raises and kickbacks of tax dollars on shady deals on a regular basis. But to Americans on main street level watching these atrocities are feeling sick to their stomachs.

This elitism can be exemplified by Rangel stating GOD told him to fight the extenuating ethics charges plaguing him. Then after the speech ( show ) changing his story saying he hasnt talked to " her " yet attempting to put his own little spin on a story he knew very well would hit headlines again.

Is this what they think of American politics, a show performed on stage, and it wont matter in a couple days? While the real victims in the audience shake our heads at the audacity of it all.

You can put a birth announcement in any paper, anywhere. I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but because my mother was from Alvin, Texas, the announcement was also made in the Alvin, Texas paper. The only thing that REALLY matters is the long form showing the hospital and doctor no matter where you are born. My theory is that you hide something when you have something to hide.

You can put a birth announcement in any paper, anywhere. I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but because my mother was from Alvin, Texas, the announcement was also made in the Alvin, Texas paper. The only thing that REALLY matters is the long form showing the hospital and doctor no matter where you are born. My theory is that you hide something when you have something to hide.